Lower Mainland Pharmacy Consolidation: labour adjustment plan reached
The union and health employers have reached a labour adjustment plan to minimize the impact of the employers consolidation plan for pharmacy services in the Lower Mainland.
The Health Science Professional Bargaining Associations pharmacy consolidation committee has been meeting with pharmacists across the Lower Mainland to hear concerns and ideas. The union ensured this input was a crucial part of the meetings with health employers. After a series of meetings throughout April, May & June, the parties reached an agreement in recent days.
The agreement successfully limits the immediate impact on individual pharmacists. The employers consolidation plan affects 30 hospital pharmacists through changes to job duties and/or classification. Furthermore, the employment of all pharmacists will transfer to Fraser Health not later than March 31st, 2012.
HSA will contact all 30 affected pharmacists individually within the next 24 hours, by email or phone. Please send your email address (and full name) to @email to ensure HSA has your home email address.
HSA is also scheduling three meetings for affected pharmacists:
DATE: Tuesday, August 2, 2011
TIME: 5:30 pm ... 8:00 pm
LOCATION: Hilton Metrotown ... Waterford Rooms 1 & 2
ADDRESS: 6083 McKay Avenue, Burnaby
DATE: Wednesday, August 3, 2011
TIME: 5:30 pm ... 8:00 pm
LOCATION: The Coast Hotel & Convention Centre (Cascades) ... Bedford
ADDRESS: 20393 Fraser Highway, Langley
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 2011
TIME: 12:00 (noon) ... 1:00pm Telephone conference call
LOCAL CALL IN : 604-899-2339
TOLL FREE: 1-877-385-2339
PARTICIPANT : 58180
Pharmacy Directors will also be meeting with the affected pharmacists to outline the options and finalize the decisions.
Highlights of the labour adjustment plan include:
• All thirty (30) affected pharmacists have been matched to their -most like new position" in the new structure, reducing ... if not eliminating ... the need to displace pharmacists and trigger possible bumping.
• Affected pharmacists who accept their -most like new position" match by August 10th, 2011, are wage protected (-red circled"). This means if their matched position is at a lower grade, they carry their current wage rate and hours of work with them into the matched -most like new position".
• Affected pharmacists may reject their matched -most like new position." They will be allowed to select a vacancy from the list of current vacancies, or be displaced and given rights to bump. (Note: Wage protection in a bump occurs according to the new collective agreement language governing consolidated seniority lists. Wage protection -- where a vacancy is chosen -- is available where the selected vacancy is equal to or higher than the offered -most like new position.")
For example: You are a grade V pharmacist affected by consolidation. You have been matched to a -most like new position," which is a grade III position. You reject this match, and select a vacancy at grade IV. You are wage protected (-red circled") as a grade V.
• Affected pharmacists who accept their -most like new position" match are protected within this process from further displacement or bumping.
• Seamless employment transfer for all pharmacists to Fraser Health not later than March 31st, 2012.
You are welcome to ask for more information from members of HSAs pharmacy consolidation committee:
Tory Kim, pharmacist, Surrey Memorial Hospital
Jerry Casanova, pharmacist, Langley Memorial Hospital
Terri Betts, pharmacist, Lions Gate Hospital
Nick Torok, pharmacist, St. Pauls Hospital
Faith Uchida, pharmacist, Vancouver General Hospital
Kathleen Collin, pharmacist, BC Childrens Hospital
Peter Lam, pharmacist, Surrey Memorial Hospital
Dave Martin, HSA Membership Services Coordinator
Or, contact for more information:
Dave Martin, HSA Membership Services Coordinator - " returning from vacation August 2/11"
Email: @email
Cell: 604.862.6611
Dr. Shallen Letwin, Executive Director - Lower Mainland Pharmacy Services (on behalf of the leadership team)
Email: @email
Cell: 604-897-3554
Sandra Harnett ... Human Resources Consultant ... Fraser Health
Email: @email
Cell: 604-614-8053
Judy Roberts ... Human Resources Consultant ... Fraser Health
Email: @email
Cell: 604-614-2906
Printer-freindly version (bulletin).
LMPS Labour Adjustment Plan agreement (large file - 1 MB)